


I Missed You

by thefloralpeach



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen, M/M, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Titan!marco, jeanmarco reunited, marco lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-07 00:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1877634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefloralpeach/pseuds/thefloralpeach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of the theory/possibly canon idea that people become titans after their death. Hanji finds a way to reverse this, and Jean finds Marco once again :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Missed You

"Well, soldiers… this is it. This could be humanity's victory," Hanji speaks unusually but reasonably seriously.

In her hand lies a small but powerful device- the result of years of scientific work, years of dedication and dangerous experiments, years of risks,  and years of watching friends die. This is what everyone's suffered for. This is what will supposedly defeat the titans once and for all- this tiny little device. Maybe… maybe her strange method of thinking and her seemingly insane ideas work? There's a hope that maybe, just maybe, humanity has a chance- not just a small one, either, rather, a chance at true victory. The chances are slim- incredibly slim- almost nonexistent- but they're there.

Jean Kirstein stands atop a refuel station at a high-point of an area within wall Maria among several other elite soldiers, waiting for a command, action, or just something other than waiting. Waiting is the worst. Soldiers are positioned around the territory, prepared for two possibilities- a fight, or an aid mission.

Titans continue to wander throughout the city. Looking at them… well, it makes the possibility of success seem much less likely. They walk around, searching for a slaughter, for more people to eat, for more unnecessary killing.

 _Any time now, Hanji,_ Jean thinks but dares not say.

Could this really work? Could such a small device do so much? Could what Hanji claims even be possible?

The questions. The doubt. All of this plagues the heads of probably every soldier, but definitely Jean. He glances to his right to find Armin- looking determined. His eyes are focused on some fixed point, staring at nothing but still completely focused. Eren and Mikasa stand on a nearby building, also prepared for a battle. There are a few other faces that Jean recognizes, but none that are remarkable. Everyone's probably thinking the same thing, everyone's probably silently criticizing Hanji and this whole thing. Or, maybe that's just Jean. Who knows.

"Here goes…" Hanji speaks again, this time, softer and more to herself. She holds her hand high, brandishing the device. She hesitates once again, dragging everything out.

_Any fucking day now, Hanji._

There is no possible way this shit's going to work. This tiny little device is supposed to bring down every titan in a whatever-mile radius. What it does scientifically, Jean isn't sure. She had probably told him before- something about frequencies maybe- but he was probably zoning out, like he always seems to do these days.

The theory was complicated, but was backed up with overwhelming evidence from the most intelligent and one of the only scientists in the Survey Corps. Titans are people. People are titans. Every dead person was basically a shifter stuck in titan form. A lot of other complicated sciency shit that Jean was way too confused about to care. Supposedly, this device would cause the humans trapped inside the titans to be able to awake and reclaim themselves- again, some frequency stuff or whatever. Bullshit, it seemed at first. But with more bodies, more similarities, more fucking proof. Proof proof proof. Jean wasn't able to ignore it anymore.

Everyone who had died- all their comrades, their classmates, their friends- they were all titans now?

…He was a titan now?

Jean forced himself to not think about that. He forced himself to stop thinking about a lot of things that had to do with Him. He wanted to forget everything, while remembering everything too. He had been torn. He had to move on, but…

How could he just forget Marco?

 _Shut up, now isn't the time,_ Jean mentally scolds himself.

Hanji finally presses the small button. Jean still doubts that it works, and is completely prepared to just retreat like they always do, to fail like they always do, to count more deaths like they always do. There's no way this tiny thing can work. He has no idea how it even could…but now, suddenly, Jean doesn't know or care. He's snapped out of his mental pessimistic breakdown- what's important now is that the titans have stopped.

Every, single, one.

Just stopped.

No chasing, no killing, no abnormals; not even walking.

"Oh my God," he whispers.

"It worked… it worked!" Hanji yells, actually jumping out of joy on the rooftop. She quickly loads a green flare and sends it to signal success and begin the rescue mission for the people now freed from their titan-bodies.

"It really worked," Armin speaks, finally, with even an optimistic tone to his voice. Funny, this is the first time in a while he's sounded like that.

The shock rushes over Jean like a wave, engulfing him and rendering him speechless. This could actually be a win. Humanity could actually come out of this one victorious. Everything that had happened- all the people who had died or given everything- would be for something. The shock, this time, isn't a terrible thing. In fact, it's really not bad at all. There might even be a smile making an appearance on his face. Who knew it could happen?

"Well, you know what to do soldiers! Proceed with the plan! First priority is to get those people out of the titan bodies and back to the infirmary! Go!" Hanji commands.

Soldiers line the streets immediately. Each of them carries a backpack containing clothing to give to those they find. There are some carts travelling around to help bring people back and aid with the mission. For the first time, people are being brought back to a hopeful situation, rather than one of despair.

It had been known for a while that titans are people. Most do not have control over their actions once in titan form. Some have referred to them as "permanent shifters"- they form a titan's body, but can never come out of it. They are stuck there permanently and lose control of their will. Hanji had spent months trying to figure out a way to give those people back control and allow them to exit the titan. Now, titans fall everywhere. Giant bodies just collapse, now completely harmless besides the grandeur of their form. Sometimes they retain some of their human appearance. Sometimes you can see the person you once knew or loved as a titan trying to slaughter. They could have similar facial features, such as hairstyle, or the same eyes, or…

…freckles…

Jean freezes.

While before he was struck by excitement, now it's something different. Maybe it's still excitement. Maybe it's just the shock of a surprise, or the uncertainty of his thoughts.

That couldn't be…

The titan just stands there for a moment, struck frozen by Hanji's mechanism. It appears to stare right at Jean, as if it knows. No, he's probably just paranoid.

But… it has the same freckles.

_No. No, it's not him. It can't be him… right?_

It begins to fall, just like the others. It isn't too far away.

_It could be…there's no harm in checking. There's no harm in making sure._

_What if…_

_What if it is him?_

He hops down off of the roof to join the others. People are already being loaded into carriages to be taken to the hospital building for evaluation. All around soldiers are handing out clothes and blankets to stunned newly-returned humans.

"Hey, Jean-" Eren begins, but is cut off by Jean ignoring him.

He had to keep walking. He had to know.

"Jean!" Armin begins enthusiastically. Still, he keeps walking.

Some others join. They talk as they move, excited about the possibilities that now arise. They chatter. They finally allow themselves to be happy. And, apparently, they try to join Jean in on the fun they can now allow themselves to have.

He doesn't even hear them.

Isn't he supposed to be on a mission? Isn't there something he's supposed to be doing? Maybe… probably… no, definitely. But, he can't put his finger on it, and he's not trying. He just has to keep moving. He has to see for himself.

"Jean? Jean!" A voice shouts. It was Armin, he thinks, but isn't really paying attention.

_Gotta see. Gotta keep moving._

"Where the hell are you going?" Shouts another voice. Sasha? Who knows. Who cares.

_Keep moving. Gotta see. Gotta know._

He takes off running. He has to get there quick enough, before a carriage wheels him off to the infirmary, before he's once again lost.

 _Calm down, it might not even be him,_ Jean tells himself.

_But what if it is?_

_What if it's Marco?_

He finally comes upon the open space between buildings where he had seen the titan before. There's a giant titan body lying on the ground, evaporating as he walks. He's not too far away from it, he could probably run and reach it in less than a minute. He had to see if anybody was there.

 _Please,_ he pleads as he sprints towards the titan.

_Please be him. Please be him and please be okay. Be alive._

A soldier walks away from the scene, taking out another pile of clothes from their pack and searching for more survivors.

Right. The mission. They were supposed to be clothing people, checking people, and leading them to carriages.

This soldier just helped someone out to safety.

_Please…_

A figure appears from behind the titan. He wears the clothing the soldiers were given to provide to those they find- just a simple light shirt, pants, and shoes, just enough to cover them until they could get to the infirmary. Jean keeps running. The figure is tall, like he was- or, is, with hope- but walks awkwardly, as if he hadn't in a long time. He's still too far away to tell, but Jean risks everything.

"Marco," he tries to yell, but his voice fails him.

He can hear the others following him as well. Shit.

 _Go away… this is something **I** need to do._ He thinks at them, as if it would actually do anything. It doesn't, shockingly. Whoa.

"Marco!" He yells louder. The figure turns in his direction and sees him running.

_Oh God…_

He mouths something that Jean can't hear, and begins running at him as well, a bit clumsy at first but then regaining his balance.

 _It's him he heard you he's running toward you you have to get to him you have to see him oh God he's alive he's alive he's alive gotta get to him…_  Jean's mind races, half-forming incoherent thoughts as he runs, closing the distance in between them as fast as he possibly can.

It's as if he's running in a nightmare. He's so close… he runs and he runs but he still seems so far away. Buildings, people, and voices meld into a featureless blur around him as he focuses on reaching the figure, on reaching Marco. He fights to run faster, to push his legs harder. He can't get close enough… he can't lose Marco again.

It seems like forever.

After their small infinity, they finally reach each other.

 _Marco_.

Jean grabs Marco immediately and pulls him into an embrace. There's nothing else around them- no world, no titans, nothing. There's just them, being reunited after God knows how long.

"Marco," Jean nearly whispers. It's him. It's actually him. Marco is okay, he's alive, and Jean's holding him in his arms again.

He doesn't know when he starts crying. He doesn't know when Marco starts crying either. He doesn't know when the rest of their friends show up, nor does he know what they say. All he knows is Marco.

Also he should probably try and say something…

"I'm so happy you're alive…you're okay… I missed you." He managed to say, still never letting go of Marco.

"I missed you," Marco replied, though quietly.

Hearing that voice again.

Seeing his face again.

Holding him again.

This is what Jean had wanted so badly. Well, of course there's always the usual- humanity's victory, defeat the titans, blah, blah, blah. But as much as he wanted to deny it, he wanted his best friend back. He wanted his Marco back.

Now, he has all of that. And all he can do is hold Marco, and let Marco hold him back.

Finally Jean pulls back enough to look at him. His face is no longer broken as it had been. There appears to be a scar running down his face, but otherwise he's healed.

"I'm so sorry… I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Jean mutters.

"Don't blame yourself, Jean. You had nothing to do with it. And I'm here now." Marco reassured between breaths from crying.

Jean buries his head back into Marco, remaining like that for what could be hours before they're pulled apart by friends and brought to the infirmary. Still, they don't separate. Not really. They can't

"Marco?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm never letting you go again."

_Ever. Never ever._

Marco smiles back at him. That genuine Marco smile that he'd almost forgotten but never could let go of.

"Jean?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."


End file.
